States Made History on November 4, Too

Barack Obama wasn't the only one to make history Nov. 4 when he was elected the first black U.S. president. Statehouses also broke ground on several fronts.

New Hampshire became the first state in U.S. history to give women the majority in a legislative chamber, said Tim Storey, a state elections expert with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Women will hold 13 of 24 seats in the state Senate.

Meanwhile, the South Carolina Senate went the opposite direction and will become the only state legislative chamber in the country without any female members. The last all-male legislative body was the Louisiana Senate, which had no women from 1980 until mid-1991, NCSL said.

In gubernatorial races, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) will become North Carolina's first female governor.

About The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today's most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and invigorate civic life.

Trust Magazine

Our quarterly news magazine. Every issue features articles on Pew’s work from across the organization.Read Current Issue